Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon pumps his fist after St. Louis Cardinals' Carlos Beltran was caught stealing second and tagged out to end the baseball game in the ninth inning, Friday, Aug. 10, 2012, in Philadelphia. The Phillies won 3-1. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)— AP

Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon pumps his fist after St. Louis Cardinals' Carlos Beltran was caught stealing second and tagged out to end the baseball game in the ninth inning, Friday, Aug. 10, 2012, in Philadelphia. The Phillies won 3-1. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)
/ AP

Philadelphia Phillies' Roy Halladay in his windup in the first inning of a baseball game with the St. Louis Cardinals, Friday, Aug.t 10, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)— AP

PHILADELPHIA 
Kyle Lohse continued his mastery of hitters. Unfortunately for the St. Louis Cardinals, Roy Halladay matched him.

Lohse allowed one run and four hits while setting a season high with seven strikeouts in seven innings. But Halladay pitched eight superb innings and Chase Utley hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth off reliever Barret Browning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies to a 3-1 victory over St. Louis on Friday night.

"Two pitchmakers out there doing a great job," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said.

Lohse, who walked two, allowed only three batters to reach second base.

The Cardinals threatened in the ninth off Jonathan Papelbon, who pitched a scoreless inning for his 25th save in 28 chances. Papelbon gave up a one-out double to Allen Craig and a two-out single to Carlos Beltran to put runners on first and third. But Papelbon got Beltran trying to steal second, throwing ahead of the runner after he left first base too early.

"I got a little anxious," Beltran said. "There's no guarantee we would win the game, but you can't end a game like that."

Beltran homered for the Cardinals, who have lost three of four and ruined another solid effort by Lohshe.

The right-hander has been stellar all season and was 6-0 in his last nine starts entering Friday. He had given up two earned runs or less in eight of the nine outings with a 2.52 ERA in those starts.

"My change was real good," he said. "They stacked their lineup with left-handers. I knew I had to get it going and I did. It's a tough loss but we'll get over it."

The Cardinals couldn't get anything going against Halladay, who is starting to feel in sync again.

It was the second straight outstanding outing for Halladay (6-6), who missed 42 games while on the disabled list with a strained lat. He returned July 17 and struggled in his first three starts back, going 0-1 with a 5.82 ERA. He threw seven innings in a 3-0 victory over Arizona on Saturday.

The right-hander matched a season low by allowing just two hits while striking out eight and walking none to help Philadelphia win its fourth game in the last six.

"I feel more in sync now than I did early on," Halladay said. "I had a hard time, I just didn't feel together. I didn't feel like everything was kind of clicking. Moreso the last two starts, I've felt like that's been better."

He didn't allow a hit after Jon Jay's two-out single in the third, retiring 16 of his final 17 batters. The only hitter to reach base was Yadier Molina, who got to first after being hit on the left elbow leading off the fifth.

"He kept guys off base, good change, good command," Matheny said. "He looked like the Halladay we've seen too many times."